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Put my reply at the bottom of the input you receive. I haven't flown the mid-vent so can't compare them.

For me, the full sail Rev and the vented Rev have enough overlap that I don't have a need for something in between. Maybe those needing more precision and team flying than me have a use for that amount of fine tuning variation.

On the other hand, I just learned recently, in another topic, that there is an XTRA vent 1.5. When the wind gets too high and too much pull for a vented Rev 1.5, I use a vented Rev 2. For vartiety and change of pace, I may need to look into the XTRA vent further. Last year, I had three days of 30+ mph winds at Manzanita and only the vented Rev 2 to fly. I was beginning to Jones for another kite to look at. Then I ask myself how often do I run into that much high wind. For 2010, it was 25% of my beach flying ... XTRA might be worth a look for me.

If you already have a standard Rev and want one for higher winds, I'd recommend you get the Full Vent as well.

If you don't have a Rev and want to buy only one, I'd recommend a Mid Vent with Race Rods - very versatile, wide wind range!

Funnily enough, the Mid Vent is the one I fly the least, but that's only because I fly the standard (with Race Rods) all the way up to the point where it is time to take out the Full Vent. Where I fly the wind invariably starts off light in the morning and builds all day, so the first kite out of the bag is the standard. Pretty rare that I get to the beach and think "Hmmm... mid vent wind" to start the day. And once I'm flying, I leave it until the last minute to swap to the next kite up, so I've usually gone past the Mid Vent sweet spot.

But for something different...today I just got back from the beach, flying my new Xtra Vent in SOLID 18 mph winds (measured with a wind speed meter) with stronger gusts. Wow! What a kite! Best addition to the kite bag in a long time!

The Mid Vent is a kite that was specifically designed for a small group of people, usually in the mid west areas that hardly ever see winds up near the 20+ mph ranges but can usually find wind in the 10-14 mph range. If you find yourself with this type of wind, the mid vent is your best and most used kite ever. For the masses though, the mid vent falls into a specialty kite that probably gets the least amount of use.

Wind ranges for the standard (and a couple frame sets) is from 3-4 mph winds all the way up to 14-16 mph winds. The Full Vented (with the same arsenal of frame sets) can fly from 7-9 mph winds up to 25-30 mph winds. The mid vent (again, with multiple frame sets) can fly from 6-8 mph wind up to 18-20 mph wind.

All of these kites do get a bit tougher to fly once they start reaching into their upper most wind ranges. The standard 1.5 can start to pull very hard and gets harder to control once the winds reach over 12-14 mph. The Vented can be the same when winds start to approach that 25+ mph range.

For most people, the Standard and the Full Vent is more than enough to cover the entire wind range. If you get the B-Series, you get enough frames to mix-n-match for all wind conditions. This setup will cover from 3-4 mph winds up to 28-30 mph wind.

2 more centsI live at 5000 feet above sea level. Winds are very variable. I fly the full vent infrequently. I fly the standard up to about 10. Usually with race rods. Then I go the mid vent with a 3 wrap. I will take that up to just about storm level (20+). The reason is the variability of the winds. I want the sail powered even when there is a direction switch or lull. With the full vent you get a lull and just fall out of the sky. This has worked well for me.

When on the coast with steady breezes i switch to mid at about 7 and full at about 12. Things are steady and the sail stays powered.

I find that full powered sails are the best for the REV especially in competition or demo. You get sharper corners and clocks. Flic flacs are easier and speed control has a wider range.

I just came over to the dark side in early summer, and started with a B series mid vent. Since then I also bought a non vented B series. From my experience this year, the non vented is the way to go if your average wind is very low to maybe 10 mph. It can be flown at higher wind speeds, but there is a lot more flex and pull-plus the speed can get quite fast. Of course you have the line adjustment to help compensate for the different conditions.

As for the mid vent, it's what I usually fly wheneve there is enough wind. I found I need at least a steady 5-7 mph wind for best flight response. As for the maximum wind? The mid vent when using both sets of rods in the leading edge, I had flown on a day with 40 mph winds gusting to 48+ as measured at the weather station where I fly. I had no problems and perfect control with less than expected pull. A few others tried to fly their dualies that day, but soon quit as their kites were literally torn apart, lines snapped, and parts shattered. So at this point I can't really see the need for a full vent unless I want to fly in a hurricane.

I like to get out the quads when the wind speed is higher than I like to fly duals. If it looks like it's mostly over 10-12 mph with lulls to 6-8, I like to fly the mid vent with race rods. If it's a steady 12-14+, I fly the vented. Over 14 and the vented has a definite pull but very manageable. I like the mid vent for the variable inland winds.

Grain of salt, I usually fly at the beach and I rarely know the windspeed.

I'd really want to know if you already have a standard (non vented) rev. If so, I'd recommend getting a full vent. These two kites will cover a WIDE wind range. They overlap in the middle of the range, because of the different framesets. You could have two people flying next to each other, one on a standard with 3 wraps and a bit overpowered, other on vented with race rods, just a little underpowered. (race rods are light and strong, basically replace 2 wraps, highly recommended) Now, if you are looking to get one kite only, or if you just don't get rip roaring winds, the mid vent might indeed be your best bet.

I already have a 1.5sle and now have the race rods for it. I was just wondering if a mid-vent would have been a better choice is why I asked. Also is there a difference in the UL version and a Standard other than framing?

The venting makes a big difference in how the kite flies through the air. Especially in gusty or stronger wind conditions. The feel is quite different and the kite will fly slower and more graceful than a full standard sail.

The SUL version uses a lighter weight bridle and different material in the kite, mainly the leading edge and reinforcement patches - that makes the sail lighter than the standard sail. That along with the 2 wrap rods makes the SUL the lightest kite possible (with the exception being the indoor).

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